This invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the the thermal stability of materials particularly dry organic materials that are subject to degradation when subjected to elevated temperatures. The thermal testing apparatus can be used on a range of different materials, e.g. fabrics, rigid plastic materials, wood materials, and fibrous spun materials.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a chamber adapted to contain a sample of the material to be tested. An electrical heater is located underneath the chamber for heating the chamber wall and the sample. A vent opening in the chamber wall is connected to an exhaust fan, whereby smoke, vapors and volatile gases generated by the sample heating operation are removed from the chamber.
Ash and solid residue remaining in the chamber after the sample heating operation provide an indication of the thermal stability of the test sample.
The testing operation provides an indication of the sample material's thermal stability, i.e. ability to withstand high temperatures without loss of structural integrity. The term thermal stability, as used by me, defines the resistant power of a certain material to "survive" a rigid test of and then be assigned or labeled with an arbitrary quality number, to educate the consumer of the durability of the material, that he/she is contemplating to purchase. The testing operation may also provide an indirect indication of other characteristics, e.g. tensile strength, compression strength, long-time oxidation resistance, and general durability. In this sense, the invention offers a single test that provides a general indication of overall performance of the tested material.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawing and description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.